This post is a bit late for some of you who begin indoor seeds. I would have liked to have gotten this info out sooner, but it just didn’t happen. So, here I am posting it now! I hope something is helpful to you. I don’t start everything from seed- many seeds don’t like being moved and therefore do not thrive when begun indoors. I have never started flower seeds indoors nor lettuces and spinach. I had considered doing so this year and, with two sets of grow lights, my indoor space is limited. One exception, however, will be marigolds. I do plan to use a bulk planter pot and begin those in a small section of the tray that is left over.

I am no expert on seed starting, but I have been doing this for several years and tried different avenues. Last year, I tried most of my starts in egg cartons… bad idea. Don’t attempt this on any large level. The cups are too small for root growth. Learned that one the hard way. Only the peppers and tomatoes, which I began in red plastic cups, actually lived. I have also done soil blocks. In general, these work very well. A couple of drawbacks: you need to have your soil ahead of time (previous fall or make your own), and they can fall apart if the liquid ratio isn’t right (i.e. too dry). But, they do save a lot if you have the tool.

Here is what I got done this week! I had already purchased the soil brick, planter pots, and needed seeds (before February, haha). With my garden list already mapped out, I decided how many pots to fill with soil, knowing I could only use two trays of pots.

The soil worked well with warm water. I enjoyed the smell and running my hands through it to break it apart. Spring is coming! Certain seeds need more population for a good germination- cabbage, for instance. Usually, I prefer to drop 2 seeds per slot for brassicas. For tomatoes and peppers, I don’t always do this.

The soil was already sufficiently wet and so I didn’t water at this time once the seeds were planted. I had little covers and, with the labels in place, the lids wouldn’t go on properly. Weighing my options, I decided I would prefer the label stakes in place vs the lids closing. It took a few minutes…. to get my lights all set up and clipped into place. Then, my 13 year old and I had to do a bit of hunting for a 3 prong adapter for our light switch plate. We found one, though. I like to put newspaper above each set of lights for sanity’s sake- those lights are bright!

It was definitely a therapeutic time for me, working on my seedling while the kids played outside in the warmer, albeit windy, temps.

I wanted to add a list of the seeds we will be planting this year here. A couple of superb seed companies are: Berlin Seed, High Mowing Seed, Baker Creek Seeds, and even some big box stores have organic seed options on the shelves. I prefer to order my seeds early. Some years they run out of favorites quickly.

Veggies

• tomatoes- Cherokee Purple and Amish Paste
• peppers- Big Red (bell style) and Jimmy Nardello (sweet)
• beans (shell)- Black Turtle, Dwarf Horticultural (aka October Bean)
• beans (pole)- Cherokee Trail of Tears (I also shell once dried.)
• carrots- Danvers 126 and Chantenay Red Core
• corn (sweet)- Incredible
• corn (popcorn)- Glass Gem
• spinach- Bloomsdale
• lettuce- Winter Density
• peas- Green Arrow
• broccoli- De Cicco
• cabbage- Amarant (red)
• Brussels sprouts- Groninger
• cauliflower- Purple of Sicily and Bermeo
• potatoes- German Butterball and Red Pontiac
• squash- Butternut
• zucchini- Costala Romanesco
• onions-
• cucumbers- Little Leaf

Herbs

• basil- Nufar and Sacred
• dill- Bouquet
• calendula- Lemonade
• lobelia- Blue Cardinal Flower
• sage- Sage
• chamomile- German
• cumin-Cumin
• oregano- Greek
• savory- Summer
• rosemary- (I get this from the greenhouse.)
• thyme- (I already have this as a perennial planted.)

Flowers

• cosmos- Dwarf Sensation Mix
• nasturtium- Bloody Mary
• marigold- Bonanza Flame
• sunflowers- All Sorts Blend
• wildflowers- Beneficial Insect Blend
• zinnias- seed saved from last year

Cover Crop

This year I plan to cover our garden in a cover crop over winter. I chose Ground Breaker from Berlin Seed. It is a 5 lb bag and I am hoping it is large enough for our approximate 30×64 space.

We do have our raised beds still! One of those is growing our strawberries. I do hope to expand those next year. And, as I hope to add something to our growing orchard each year, I purchased 10 Heritage raspberry plants to put south of our grape vine this spring. Last year I had hoped to add Rhubarb and, since it didn’t happen, I got 2 Crimson rhubarb plants to plant this spring also!

What about spring has got you excited? Do you like growing your own food? Flowers? Herbs? I’d love to hear! Comment below! Thanks for stopping by!